The Most Impressive Debutant You May Ever See
Aonishiki is a great sumo story, but his on-dohyo performance is something to marvel at as well.
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Aonishiki will be making his debut as a Maegashira when the Haru basho begins. This is an extremely exciting development. Aonishiki is just the second Ukrainian rikishi to make the top division, after Shishi’s debut in November. Born Danylo Yavhusishin, Aonishiki is a war refugee who competed in amateur sumo in Japan. When he needed a place to go after the Russian invasion of his country, he landed with a Japanese contact who he knew through amateur sumo competitions. Showing his abilities in practice matches, he was scooped up by Ajigawa-beya, headed by the former Aminishiki.
You will likely have that capsule summary of Aonishiki’s life before joining ozumo memorized, because it will become critical to the story of who he is. It is also a tale that stays remarkable with numerous retellings. Literally no one in sumo history has a background like his. Expect to hear it all the time, then find yourself repeating it to friends and acquaintances.
Set aside Aonishiki’s biography for a moment, and focus on what he’s done before his top-division debut. Already, Aonishiki is among greatness. Aonishiki will have his first match as a Maegashira before turning 21. His birthday is on the final day of the basho. Since the year 2000, just fifteen rikishi have debuted at a younger age.
Those fifteen include Asashoryu, Hakuho, Harumafuji, Kakuryu, and Kisenosato, who all eventually became Yokozuna. Also among that group are Ozeki Takakeisho, Tochinoshin, and Kotoshogiku. Tochiozan, Chiyootori, and Onoshi all made Sanyaku. Debuting young is no guarantee of laurels, but its notable that among the retired wrestlers who never got higher than Maegashira are notorious Russian flameout Wakanoho and the injury-plagued Masunoyama. Wakanoho still made it to Maegashira #1 before being forced out after a marijuana arrest, while Masunoyama got to Maegashira #4 despite seeming to be injured every basho. (He even withdrew from his Makuuchi debut with an injury.) Hakuoho, Atamifuji, and Kotoshoho also still have not gotten above Maegashira, but also are still competing.
And that covers all the wrestlers who were younger than Aonishiki on Makuuchi debut. He is doing something special already, with a great chance at being an historic rikishi apart from his life story. In fact, his age clouds just how impressive Aonishiki’s lower-level career has been. Because he entered when he was 19-and-a-half, Aonishiki was well behind the age curve of wrestlers who come straight from high school. He also didn’t have the advantage of starting with tsukedashi status. He had to begin in the lowest Jonokuchi level.
Aonishiki took just 9 tournaments to go from Jonokuchi to Makuuchi. This ties him for the fastest advance from the lowest division to the top division with Jokoryu and Takerufuji. Both Jokoryu and Takerufuji were former University standouts when they entered ozumo without tsukedashi status. (Jokoryu because he returned for one more year after his qualifying championship; Takerufuji because he had the future Hakuoho and Onosato gobbling up amateur championships.) They were 22 and had a lot more experience than Aonishiki, but he matched their rises nonetheless.
Aonishiki’s dominance of the lower levels is even more impressive when you compare him to other youthful debuts. In his 9 lower-division basho, Aonishiki has a record of 60 wins and 12 losses. That makes his career win percentage a healthy 83.3%. The only wrestlers to debut before turning 22 with a better win percentage to that point were Baruto and Hakuoho. Hakuoho had Makushita Tsukedashi status, so he only had three tournaments before making his debut.
Baruto was a singular case. A specimen of a rikishi, the massive Estonian had gone 12-3 in his Juryo debut, which was his eighth career basho. Baruto then got injured in the next basho. Dropping to Makushita, he went 6-1 for a Makushita yusho. Back in Juryo, he earned the rare second division zensho yusho. That isn’t exactly stat padding, because he was injured. But Baruto was clearly able to compete in Makuuchi when he added 21 wins and just 1 loss to his record.
We’ve been in a stretch of impressive debuts recently, not the least of which was Takerufuji’s 13-2 Yusho a year ago. Don’t expect Aonishiki to immediately come in and do that. In fact, the average win total of the 31 debutants before the age of 23 since 2000 was 8. The best win total for that group was Ichinojo’s 13-2 Jun-Yusho in September 2014. Aonishiki is not the physical specimen that Ichinojo or Baruto was, so immediate dominance may not be as likely for him.
But even if Aonishiki gets just 8 or 9 wins, that’s a great start. And it makes him a firm Maegashira when he’s just 21. Adding on his dominance of the lower divisions makes it seem certain Aoniskihi will have a good career and possibly be more than good. He already has a great story, an impressive fighting record, and now we get to see what he’ll do in Makuuchi.